The Black Box World (42)

When we understand the six dusts, we recognize that the six dusts are the phenomena manifested by the mind. Thus, to perceive objects should be to perceive the mind. Without the mind, there would be no objects; objects are objects within the mind, and there are no objects outside the mind. When the eye sees a flower, the eighth consciousness contacts the flower through the eye faculty, transforming it into an image of the flower, like a mirror reflecting an image, manifesting the image of the flower within the black box at the back of the brain. Then, the inner eye faculty contacts the image dust of the flower, and the mental faculty contacts the dharma dust on the flower. Based on this, the eighth consciousness gives rise to eye consciousness and mental consciousness. These two consciousnesses then differentiate the image of the flower. This image is identical to the external flower our eye faculty perceives. Thus, we believe we are seeing the external flower, but in reality, it is not; it is all the image dust within the black box.

Therefore, when we look at flowers or other material things, we should realize that these visual phenomena of objects are jointly manifested through the combined functioning of our eye consciousness, mental consciousness, mental faculty, and eighth consciousness. At this moment, we should introspect within the act of perceiving the object\: what is eye consciousness, what is mental consciousness, what is the mental faculty, and what is the eighth consciousness? In this way, the mind can penetrate objects, and objects can also connect with the mind. As for the actual external flower, it is manifested through the combined functioning of the eighth consciousnesses of sentient beings sharing collective karma. It is equally false and illusory, relying entirely on the four great elements seeds within the eighth consciousnesses of all sentient beings sharing collective karma to manifest. All these eighth consciousnesses collectively uphold the flower. Similarly, the sounds we hear, the scents and odors we smell, the tastes of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy we experience, and so forth, are all like this.